Post vacation round up and weigh in

1-2 times a year I meet up with a group of friends. We eat a lot, we're all foodies and enjoy good food and trying new restaurants. I drink a lot of wine and don't have the time or inclination or exercise. This year our group spent 8 days in Fort Lauderdale, Key West and Melbourne Beach. I traveled with my food scale and my macro app, and hoped to track and keep it under control, but in reality I found that impossible to do on the road (we were on the road for about half the trip.) Trying to guestimate ingredients and measurements proved too much by the end of day 1. I also realized quickly trying to get enough fat to be true keto was going to be impossible. There's also the point I wanted to enjoy good food, because good food to me is one of life's greatest pleasures and vacation  is about pleasure!

So I adapted. I set out some basic rules for myself. Avoid non-keto foods at all costs. Even if I wasn't keeping strict keto with the correct macros, I could at least control that part. I avoided all grains, vegetables that grow under the ground, legumes, sugar. For the most part. With one huge glaring exception. Girls get away also means drinks, and I decided no beer, no sugary or fruity cocktails. Wine, vodka and club soda, a moscow mule here or there. 

My meals out usually consisted of a salad and/or veggie with a protein source. My meals at my friends house were usually cheese, salami, veggies. Snacks when I was starving on the road- balanced break packs (sans craisins) and Quest bars. Above all though- I ate tasty good food, and I ate it in higher quantities than I would at home. I am sure my caloric intake on most days was way over 1600. 

I did enjoy my "cheat meal of the month" and this is where I went crazy. We ate at this dessert restaurant in Key West, Better Than Sex. I'll spare my fellow dieters the food porn pictures of chocolate and caramel and sugar delights. The link shows it all anyway. I think my low point that evening might have been when they brought me a wine glass dipped in thick chocolate full of cabernet- like "here, have 18000 more calories why don't you?" It was exciting to indulge, but to be honest I probably wouldn't waste a cheat meal of the month that way again. I'd rather stuff my face with something savory and bready. 

Okay so end result? I'm up 1.1 lb today. This feels like a HUGE victory for me. I know how I normally come home after these things. I spent all day yesterday traveling and I feel dehydrated so Im sure that pound is all water weight. I don't get an exciting thrill of seeing my scale lower than before but that is seriously a-okay. I ate well and often and I made great memories, and I didn't sabotage myself at all. This experience makes the idea of maintenance down the road when I hit goal weight sound actually plausible.

Gotta go, I have a keto band-wagon to jump back on!